Thursday, August 4, 2011

Flowers, Books, Coffee and Beans

Want to brighten up your kitchen? Add some fresh flowers. Mr. Dunbar often buys me a small bouquet of flowers that I can put right next to the kitchen sink. They always make me happy and remind me how much I love the guy. And since I put them in the kitchen, the boys can see them, too. Just one of those things that I want my boys to know- how to make a girl happy with a simple gesture.

July 425July 426 

I’ve read a few books this summer. These first two were given to me by two different moms. Grace Based Parenting and Raising Your Spirited Child. Why they gave them to me, I don’t know? I mean my kids are perfect. They never challenge what I say, they’re never sassy, they are always compliant, and kind, and well mannered, and well…. like I said- pretty much perfect. But just to appease my fellow reading moms, I read the books.

July 052

Grace Based Parenting was an easy read and readily challenged the way I look at parenting. The best thing I gleamed from this book was to view my role as a parent to that of a mirror of God’s love. For me, I am a very black -white type of person, good-bad, yes-no, right-wrong. But this book really reclaimed the idea that I need to offer everything I can and all that I believe in a loving and gracious way.

Raising Your Spirited Child was actually longer than I expected but I really took a lot of positives away from this book. Which in fact was a major theme of the book; turning your child’s sometimes negative labels into positive attributes. It also gave some great strategies to use with your more willful child. (But like I said, I don’t have one of these types of kids.) But if you do, this would be a good book for you! ha.  

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Then I read Outlander. I actually won it from Genn through a giveaway that she had.  OMG, it was really good… for the first 500 pages. Loved the story line, was enamored with the history and descriptions, couldn’t read it fast enough. Such a good read. The last few chapters were a little outlandish for my tastes but I’m still going to read the next book in the series and I’ve actually already given this book to my MIL to read. Read it, you won’t be dissappointed.

I hate canned refried beans. I do. They gross me out. I usually make beans from scratch, but lately I’ve been looking for all of the short cuts in the kitchen that I can find. Here’s my quick fix.

Canned pinto beans (not refried), rinsed REALLY well.

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I just smooshed them and added Pepper Jack Cheese. Gotta love the Tillamook!  Its the best. (and I’m not sure why I look like I have lobster claws for a hand???)July 615

Oh, and I forgot the Greeks, since we’re going International here. Made this yummy salad the other night for dinner. Used all of this, tossed it and added a small amount of Greek dressing. It was good. I put grilled chicken on top of Mr. Dunbar’s salad because men need meat.

July 509  July 512

July 507

On the bread I used a little butter, I know I know, should have used EVOO. But that was my little cheat, everything else on my plate was a veggie. On top of the butter I sprinkled a little bit of this seasoning, everyone LOVED it.

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Hope you’re staying cool in this HOT HOT HOT weather.

~mrs. dunbar

10 comments:

Lori said...

I've heard a lot of people talking about Raising Your Spirited Child. I keep debating on reading it, since well Blake is all those things and VERY smart on top of that. But then I've never found a parenting book that I've really liked so I hesitate.

Nicolle said...

The salad looks delicious. We love that seasoning. We use it on everything. I love canned pinto beans as a shortcut for making them from scratch. Although I am so cheap and the uncooked beans in the bag fit my budget better than the canned. I need to try to make them refried like yours. Yum.

My boys just brought me fresh flowers the other day too, and I have some by the sink. Yours are so pretty!

Genn said...

Beautiful flowers.
You are going to raise very thoughtful young men.
Great looking salad.
Never seen that seasoning. Sounds great.

Simply...Me said...

HAHAHAHAH I love that you have perfect kids! wink wink. I mean really could grace and logan be actually biological siblings with all the similarities? lol. Salad looks great and I do love my fresh flowers as well. Where did u get that seasoning?

Megan said...

I am taking notes on all of the above...

Mrs. C... said...

So you will giggle......I brightened up my kitchen by painting it LIME GREEN - Yowza is it bright. Now I am looking to tone it down a notch or 12! Wait till you see it!!! As for reading, my pleasure reading is the Help (inspired by you and Mrs. Webb) and a book G and I are reading together. Love reading w him and discussing what is going on!

Christian said...

We just visited the Tillamook factory when we were at the beach a couple of weeks ago!

Lisa said...

That salad looks delicious...and I use that Greek seasoning on everything...love it!

SZM said...

That greek salad looks so yummy!

Michele said...

Lovely flowers! It is so HOT!!! Hope you are staying cool, too!